Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Chevalier
In Paris on the eve of the French Revolution, Queen Marie Antoinette dubs Joseph Bologna (Kelvin Harrison Jr) the Chevalier de Saint-George due his mastery of the sword & maestro of the bow. Joseph is the negro bastard son of a French plantation owner & an African servant but is afforded a proper education due to his father’s urging to develop young Joseph’s many talents. Though he faces an uphill battle against racism & bigotry, he becomes a musical marvel but denied proper acknowledgement due to his mulatto background. This is also a star-crossed love story invoking a married woman. The film begins with a stunning dueling banjo type scene involving Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart being upstaged during his Violin Concerto No. 5. The musical numbers are outstanding in this terrific period piece based on a true story.
Alien gives it 3½ “liberté, equalité, fraternité” stars out of 4.
